


Valuate

by melonbug



Series: -ate [2]
Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-03
Updated: 2016-03-03
Packaged: 2018-05-24 10:29:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6150664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melonbug/pseuds/melonbug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She can't mess this up. Not this.</p>
<p>She is not the mole, no matter her background.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valuate

He’d mentioned Sportsmaster and she must have just imagined the glance Kaldur had sent her way when he said it. He doesn’t know. He couldn’t possibly know. Unless-

Unless Sportsmaster had said more than what Kaldur was telling them. Unless Sportsmaster had mentioned  _ her _ . Oh  _ god. _ If they find out-

Artemis curls inward, drawing her legs closer to her chest. It’s cold in her room tonight, cold throughout the entire mountain. And she can’t sleep, can’t stop wondering if Kaldur knows something, if he suspects her. If her father has found a way to use her without her even knowing.

It would be just like him, too. Ruining her life without even being there.

She shivers and closes her eyes, tugging the blankets tighter around her. She’s tired, fucking  _ tired _ , but she’s almost scared to sleep now, not with so much on her mind, not with her  _ father _ on her mind.

She doesn’t want to wake up crying.

A knock on the door makes her start and she drags herself upright in the bed, the sudden wash of cold air raising goosebumps on her skin. There’s another knock and she finally climbs to her feet, wrapping herself in a tangle of blankets.

She half expects it to be Kaldur and she tugs the door open with dread only to find Robin standing there instead.

“It’s you.”

He frowns. “Expecting someone else?”

“ _ No. _ ” She says it too quickly and if he notices he doesn’t say. “I- What do you want?”

“You ran off rather quickly after we got back from the mission.” He walks in without an invitation, moving to settle down on the end of her bed.

“I was  _ tired. _ We all are.” It’s true, so true. She probably looks awful.

Robin nods. “Yeah. It’s been a busy couple days.” He turns his gaze on her and it’s unnerving being unable to see his eyes. “Are you alright?”

“I-  _ Yes _ , I’m fine.” She glares at him, gesturing wildly at the still open door. “And I’d  _ really _ like to sleep, so if you could just-”

He ignores her. “You don’t  _ look _ fine.”

Artemis grits her teeth. “No, I look  _ tired _ , because I haven’t had proper sleep in three days. Now  _ go away. _ ”

He frowns and shifts to dangle his legs over the edge of the bed. “No. Something’s bothering you. I can tell,” he says and then there’s the briefest of pauses before, “Are you worried about the mole thing?”

He says it casually, the same way he would ask about the weather or how her day went. Artemis clenches her jaw and closes the door, falling back against it.

“Well-  _ Yes. _ Obviously I’m-” She fidgets entirely too much as she tries to answer him, finally looking away uneasily. “Ye-”

“Artemis.” He cuts her off again and this little habit of his is  _ really  _ starting to become annoying. “You need to tell them.”

“W- _ what! _ ” The blankets slide from her shoulders, bunching up where they’re pinned between her back and the door. “I’m not-  _ I’m not the mole! _ ”

“I know you’re not.”

“Then  _ what _ -”

He stands up and crosses the room, stopping in front of her. And even though she’s now looking  _ down  _ at him she can’t help but feel intimidated.

“They need to know who you  _ are _ , Artemis.”

She tenses and pushes herself further against the door, biting back the sudden anger and fear and there are too many emotions clouding her mind and she balls her hands into nervous fists, licking too dry lips. “How- How much do you know?” She regrets the question the moments she says it because, really, she doesn’t want to know the answer, can’t  _ bear  _ to hear him say it.

“Everything.”

The room spins and she gulps down a breath and she can feel the moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes. “Please- P-please don’t tell-”

“They’re going to find out eventually.”

“P-please! I can’t- I can’t mess this up! Not  _ this _ !”

His shoulders slump slightly and he sighs, reaching up to trace the curves of his mask. “I won’t say anything but-” He dips his head slightly and the mask comes off with a single, hard tug. “You need to tell them, Artemis.”

He lifts his head and she catches sight of his bright blue eyes as they meet hers. It’s all she can do to stutter out ‘you!’ before he grabs her hand and pushes the mask into it, curling her fingers around it.

“No more secrets, Artemis.”

She fists her hand around the mask long after he’s left, lets the sharp edges dig into her palm, and tries to convince herself that, no, they  _ don’t  _ need to know.


End file.
